The year that was ...

A few hours from now, we will welcome the New Year with a bang and bid goodbye to 2010. The past year had been very good blogging year as I have discovered and rediscovered more than a lot of gastronomic delights and a few things or sorts that added color to Flavours of Iloilo. As a last hurrah, here's a look back to what, why and how 2010 become such a gastronomically momentous year.

JANUARY

Enjoyed Dinagyang both culturally and gastronomically … reacquainted my palate the delights of Breakthrough, Buto’t Balat, Peppy Thai and Esca’s … officially met members of the Iloilo Bloggers Inc at Green Mango… discovered the buffet at Emilion, Balbi’s dinuguan and diwal … invaded Uncle Tom’s, Kopi Roti and the riverside boulevard with the Skyscrapercity Iloilo peeps … awed by the trip in Guimaras esp. with the Pulang Pasayan trip … food trips at Mang Inasal, JD Roadhouse … got myself a new (and real) digital camera!

FEBRUARY

Experienced the Jaro fiesta more than the food … had a “bukolic” day – Nang Palang’s buko pie, buko halo and manok sa buko at Jo’s Inato … discovered Carlito’s, squid flakes and Biscocho Haus’ paper bags … got invited to Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine’s presscon … loved the new Coffeebreak and Green Mango branch at Nelly Garden … Manila trip - reconnected with former officemates, visited Yoshinoya almost everyday, loved Amici, tried Savory Chicken, rediscovered Marina and Razons … brought home a galore of Krispy Kreme and Gonuts Donuts!

MARCH

Food tasting session at Green Mango (Bangus meals) and Coffeebreak (Iced jelly drinks) … grilled pantat, adodo nga alimusan, sinamak, kalkag and more Ilonggo delights … Balbi’s and Tinapayan’s ensaimada galore … Tibiao’s teren teren and a vegetable chicharon … Luna’s arroz caldo on a very hot day … native delicacies haul – baye baye mais, multi-colored puto, bingka, puto manapla, buti … local eats in Sta. Barbara – Chico Shade and Dogsdale Pizza … got myself filled with innumerable bingka during the Holy Week!

APRIL

The bingka galore continued … KBL na, lechon pa – loved the combo … discovered a mysterious yet very addicting egg crackers … Green Mango’s pancit canton – Top 10 in the country … is eating watermelon with salt a sin?… loved GM’s Heaven’s Torte … a wishlist fulfilled – food tasting invite from Bluejay Coffee and Deli – loved the Siam Pearl Jelly drink …plus a complimentary Hilot massage from Kasanag Well Being Centre ... planning for the Visayas Blogging Summit started to roll… Dos Maria’s gargantuan 32-inch pizza!

MAY

Ibos with caramel or fruit cake shake, anybody? … Triple temptation, Death by Chocolate, Oreo cheesecake and Better than Sex at Coffeebreak …. complimentary lemon grass tea after the hilot massage … Seafood marinara, Miner’s carbonara, Mushroom aglio y olio at Bluejay’s food tasting session … and US double decker burger too! … VBS planning at New York BBQ … Had fun ‘til one during a mini reunion at Red Paprika … their lechon kawali and ox tongue in cream sauce – like 10x!

JUNE

Rediscovered Jiecel and Thea’s sio pao and sio mai and Jo’s “inasal na manok sa buko pandan” … VBS planning at Dulgies – D’ Club sandwich as always … Villa gastronomic misadventure – bingka sa Mohon, Nang Pat’s Sio Paowan sa Villa, Dac’s Special kutsinta, Mama’s Kitchen … finally visited Ted’s Oldtimer’s swanky new branch along Diversion road … appeared in a local cable TV show and talked about blogging … got invited to the Biggest BBQ Party in Iloilo at The Avenue – a Father’s Day buffet!

JULY

Bluejay’s “big on taste, light on the pocket” food tasting session … homemade galore - dulce de kalabasa, tuna sinigang, fried alloy, pinamalhan, minatamis na saging … bihon batchoy at Ted’s … VBS venue scouting at Punta Villa and Iloilo Grand Tower … memories are made with Love and Kisses pizza and pasta … simple pleasures - podpod, teren teren, catalugan, galletas … pabusog blowout - chef burger, baked penne, molten lava and club sandwich … Milo dinosaur!

AUGUST

Mayor Jed Mabilog endorses Visayas Blogging Summit … The Mango Tree – very pretty and yummy too … homemade galore – laswa, ginataan nga tambo, valenciana, nilatik nga kalabasa, balaskugay nga pasayan … Days Hotel Iloilo confirms VBS sponsorship … became foodie and tourist guide one fine day … loved JD’s fresh lumpia! … ultimate food tasting session at Bluejay – 7 bloggers, 19 desserts!

SEPTEMBER

Supported Guimbal, Iloilo in Eden: Sarap ng Pasko 100 Days of Christmas … Floyd’s pork barbecue and hot bibingka – unforgettable! … the start of Sinful Desires at Tinapayan: A Chocolate Festival … the timely return of the president(hehe) … Green Mango’s SoOOHpas collection … completed by quest with Ted’s sotanghon batchoy … The Venue co-hosts Philippine Blog Awards Visayas … met with Councilor Lex Tupas then food tasting session at Rice n More and jumped on top of the Aduana … Meshi – A Japanese buffet at Days Hotel Iloilo!

OCTOBER

My first ever stint as a judge - during Pavia’s Tigkaralag Festival: Baye baye innovation contest … as the Chocolate Festival continued - we got a low GI multiseed bread from Tinapayan … discovered Yogu, Allan’s Talabahan, Chicago deep Dish Pizza … a wallflower at VBS presscon-lol … baye baye super galore during Pista Minatay … got invites to the opening of Iloilo Supermart-Villa, Green Mango and Coffeebreak in Plaza Libertad, Tibiao Fish Spa, launching of the Asian buffet at Days Hotel, Bauhinia’s anniversary dinner … and the winner is a FUGLY cake!

NOVEMBERSleepless nights, very busy days, emotions ran high - welcome to the Visayas Blogging Summit! … despite that we had time for a Sunday Family Feast buffet at Days Hotel Iloilo … one TEArrific afternoon at Coffeebreak-tea, sandwiches, pasta, cakes … baye baye reinventions, buko pie from Passi, chicha babes … Thank you very much VBS-PBA sponsors … Deocampo Barquillos swanky new pasalubong shop … awesome PBA cupcakes from Tinapayan… heritage and gastronomic tour of Iloilo … Flavours of Iloilo wins 2010 best Visayas Food and Beverage Blog!

DECEMBER

Eats all good at Bourbon Street … Plazuela de Iloilo – a gastronomic hotspot in the works! ... The tradition continues – Tinapayan’s Gingerbread Village display at The Atrium … Craving for Crave Burgers … . Pininyahang Manok with Cheese ..Pinoy Scramble, KBL na lechon and bangus … thank you dinner from Piazza Pizzeria … food tasting session at Nothing but Desserts – truffles, trifles and cookies, and Green Mango – SoOOhper Meals and desserts! … Guimbal declared as first-ever Eden Town … Keso de gallo the earliest blogging event I’ve been to – at 5am!

As 2010 comes to a close, here's hoping that 2011 will have more gastronomic delights to have and blog about for everyone to experience the HEART of the PHILIPPINES through the STOMACH. Welcome to Iloilo - Forget your diet!